The Visit
by kaisanders
Summary: Eric and Sookie travel to Sweden, but for what reason?


Weekly Challenge 15

Theme :Sleeping Beauty

The Visit

Eric was trying to pack. Trying was the key word here. Ever since he had agreed to take Sookie with him, she had gone on nonstop about packing, arrangements, and any other prattle she could think of about the trip. He realized she had never really traveled that far before, and he loved her excitement, but come on, give it a break. To Eric, this was not a vacation, not a trip to relax, drink top shelf blood, and play night volleyball on the beach; this was a necessary journey. One he made every 100 years, and he made it because of tradition, of respect and because of love.

Eric had discussed the wisdom of taking Sookie along with Pam. He wanted to share this with Sookie. He loved her, she was his bonded. But he wanted her to understand his need to do this alone, even if she went along. Pam was sure Sookie would understand. "Your love for her skews your opinion. She would not only understand but love you deeper if you told her." Pam was probably right, but in the end it was his desire to see Sookie happy and his love for her that made the decision for him. There was nothing to be gained by regretting it now, even though she wouldn't shut up. Perhaps if he told her the true purpose of this trip? No, he wasn't ready to do that yet.

"Oh Eric, imagine! Scandinavia! Your home! I've never been out side of the US, I've only been outside of Louisiana with the vampires, and now…….. WOW." Sookie said enthusiastically. "What will we do? Where are we staying? Is the food good?"

"Lover" said Eric as patiently as he could, "I have much to show you and share with you, but there are many things to be done. I will leave you to pack yourself and go run some errands."

"No problem baby! I have plenty to do and a lot to think about and plan. I have so many questions for you!" said Sookie.

Eric thought oh goody and took his leave.

Eric drove to Fangtasia to pick up the most important item of the trip. He opened his desk drawer, pushed aside the panties he had ripped off Sookie, and pulled out a locked box. He picked out a key from his ring, opened it, and stared at the lovely brooch inside. It was made of gold, in an ancient design he had created himself. It contained three gems: blue for her deep eyes, yellow for her flaxen hair and red for her fiery passion. The pin could have been one he made for Sookie, she had so many similar qualities, but he had not crafted it for her. Eric had made it for his wife, Aude, and had presented it to her on the night they were joined. She had returned it to him o her deathbed. He had kept it with him throughout the millennium. It was his only link to his humanity, to what he had been. Over the 1000 years he forgot at times that he had been a human, a warrior with a wife and children. He sometimes forgot their names and faces until he once again dug in his drawer and touched the beautiful jewels, and then he remembered it all. He remembered their courtship, their joining, and their first night when she surprised him with her own warrior like passion. He could recall their children's births and deaths, the mourning, the happiness he had not felt again until Sookie came into his life. Sookie filled a hole he didn't even know existed. "Enough," thought Eric, as he put the brooch in his pocket and left. He had a plane to catch and a thrilled Sookie to deal with.

They landed in Stockholm at night. They were taken to the Hotellets Morkrte, the newest vampire hotels

"Eric, this place is amazing! don't you think. Look I have a view" said Sookie. But Eric was restless.

"Come Sookie, you can enjoy the hotel during the night and day. It is on the edge of the archipelago and we will hear the sea all night. We must talk. I want to tell you why we are here, and why I come here every century."

Eric took Sookie outside, and looked at the night sky.

"Much has changed since I lived here Sookie," he said. "Even the sky is different. My wife and I often sat outside watching the stars move in their heavenly dance. In the cold weather we would lie by the fire and discuss the constellations and how their movements were dictated by the gods."

"Eric, this pace holds such a special significance in your life. Was your village near here?"

"It is hard to remember Lover. There are no remains and the landmarks are gone. But I do remember one thing. And that is why we are here. Rather why I am here." He said the last part gently as he stroked her hair. Sookie was so beautiful. Her skin smooth, her blood pure. He kissed her neck and continued.

"As you know, I married when I was young. I was a fearless warrior and she was the fair maid to whom we dreamt of coming home. My wife was a match for me. She was strong willed with beautiful blonde hair, blue eyes, and a spirit of mischief. You remind me of her in many ways Sookie." He stopped and gazed at his beloved. He took a deep breath and continued, "She died after a few years of marriage, but not before bearing me my children. She loved me and them with a great passion. And I loved her with the same intensity. When she took ill, we knew it would be fatal, but kept up as we could. I was sitting with her one night and we both knew the end was near. She begged me to take her outside to see the stars. We sat in the darkness watching the eternal dance and listening to the sea. I kissed her, stroked her and begged her not to leave me. As she took her last breaths, she pressed this brooch into my hand." He took it out of his pocket and showed it to Sookie.

Sookie gasped

"It's beautiful Eric! I've never seen anything like it."

Eric's voice became very quiet. "I made it for her. I pinned it to her on our wedding night. She wore it every day of our life together. When I felt her give it to me as she lay in my arms dying, I vowed I would honor and remember her always. She smiled as she took her final breath in death she looked as peaceful as a princess. My sleeping beauty." Eric's voice choked and he took pause.

"Oh my love," cried Sookie as tears rolled down her face. She took him in her arms and rocked him like as if he was a small child. His arms went around her, and for the first time, he allowed himself to be comforted by her. He felt whole in her arms. He felt it was safe to continue.

"I was devastated when she died. I loved her so much. I was lost, and empty inside. She was burned in a funeral pyre as was the tradition of the day. Usually the ashes were left to scatter in the wind, but I knew how she loved the sea and the stars. So I gathered what I could of the ashes, took them to sea that night, and set them free. You know the rest of the story; I needed to marry again for necessity, even though my love for her continued to burn in my heart. And then my life was taken and I became vampire. I eventually grew strong as undead, but her brooch was my connection to her and to life. To honor her memory and out of respect for our love, I come here once every 100 years and take to the sea and remember our love and our life." Eric revealed, "And that my Sookie is why we are here in Sweden.

Sookie thought that was the saddest, most touching story she had ever heard. She felt she could see inside Eric and she sensed his vulnerability. No wonder he was hesitant to love, to totally give himself to her, to be totally know by her. She laid back and pulled him on top of her. He buried his head in her breasts, and breathed deeply. He felt her hands on his back and relaxed into her. He stayed with her like that until he needed to leave to dream away the dawn.

Eric awoke to a sweet twilight glow. Sookie was out for dinner he realized with great relief. He made sure he had the jeweled pin and went down to the moorings where a small wooden boat had been left for him. He took it out to sea, somber as his muscles stretched. His arms were burning when he finally stopped, and the moon was low and full in the sky. The wind was cold, but it didn't matter to him. He took out the brooch, closed his eyes and remembered. He remembered meeting her, her beauty overwhelmed him, just as Sookie's beauty had. Eric fell under both their spells instantly.

Many arranged marriages of the time were loveless, but his was not one of them. Their joining night was full of passion, heat, and sex. In fact their joining night had lasted into the next day, the next night and following day. He laughed as he thought about that! He hadn't enjoyed sex like that since his turning… until Sookie. He rubbed the brooch and thought about the joy he and his wife felt at every pregnancy. He remembered their children, planting with them in the garden, teaching them swordplay, swimming in the archipelago. He sighed. He could not give Sookie the children she desired and deserved. But he was here to honor his wife, not lament on his relationship with Sookie. Eric and his wife had had a short time together, but had loved and lived seemingly a lifetime. The same way he and Sookie, though together a short time had loved intensely. He was sure his love with Sookie would last a lifetime if he would allow her access to his soul (though he wasn't sure he still had one.) Suddenly he needed to feel Sookie near him. He needed her and wanted her to share these emotions. To bond with her as he joined with his wife. ,

Eric opened his arms to the night and cried out into the night, "Rest well, min älskade hustru."

Deep in thought, Eric rowed back to shore with silent tears of blood in his eyes. He saw a figure as he approached the shore. The figure was bundled up against the weather but shivering anyway. He sniffed and smelled the sun and honeysuckle scent that he knew belonged to Sookie. He was glad she had tracked him down and come to him. Eric landed the boat, and they walked hand in hand, in silence back to their hotel.

He was ready. She had teased and doubted, but finally had given herself to him. It was his turn now. He looked lovingly at Sookie as she warmed herself by the fire in their room. She gave him joy, and delight. She had indeed filled the emptiness in him; a hole that he thought could never be filled because he was a vampire. His blood surged as it did in his youth when he was near her. Sensing his mood because of the bond, she stroked his arms and guided him onto the bed. He kissed her lips tenderly as she opened herself to him. She invited him into her and he slid his hard cock. Slowly and gently he stroked her body with his large soft hands, filling himself with every touch. He tasted what seemed to be every inch of her, and she tasted like the stars and sea his wife had adored. He felt her arch and he pushed deeper, wanting to touch her soul. He realized he was home, and that was what he was looking for all along. He knew it was time to surrender himself to his current love, as he had done with his first lover. Eric moved inside of Sookie deeper and faster to take her to the stars. His mouth was all over her, his throbbing shaft buried in her wet tender folds. When he could hold back no longer, when he felt her contract against him, he bit down on her and sucked her sweet blood, and as he did he exploded inside of his bonded and with his fluids, gave her his heart.

"I am yours Sookie," he whispered to her, "Know my soul, know me." He held her close as she drifted off to sleep, thinking how lucky for him he had found love twice in one thousand years.

Light peaked through the curtains in the hotel room. Sookie stirred and reached out but of course Eric was gone for the day. She rolled over to go back to sleep, but felt something rough under her cheek. She sat up to see what was causing her discomfort. Lying on Eric's pillow was the brooch. He had left it there for her. Sookie felt her heart beat in her chest, and she choked as she looked at it. It was gold in a design not seen for a thousand years; she looked at the three gems: blue for her deep eyes, ellow for her flaxen hair and red for her fiery passion. A passion that Eric now freely shared with her.


End file.
